GENEVA - UN experts* today condemned the murder of Iraqi human rights defender Yanar Mohamed in March by unknown perpetrators and urged the government to act swiftly to ensure accountability.
"The Government of Iraq must ensure the protection of women human rights defenders against violence and threats, including by non-State actors, in line with Iraq's obligations under international human rights conventions," the experts said.
Mohamed - a staunch defender of women's rights, who provided shelter and protection to victims of violence, domestic abuse and so-called 'honour killings' - was shot outside her home on 2 March 2026 by two unidentified gunmen who sped away on a motorbike. She was taken to hospital where she died of her wounds. No claim of responsibility has so far been issued.
"It appears that Ms. Mohamed was murdered because of her work defending women's rights," the experts said.
Yanar Mohamed was internationally recognised as a prominent and peaceful human rights defender and was the recipient of the 2016 Rafto Prize from Norway. Her organisation ran a network of safe houses across Iraq for women victims of violence. She was also vocal in her calls for secularism, feminism and gender equality.
The Special Rapporteurs have written to the Government of Iraq several times in relation to the targeting of women human rights defenders in the country. In February, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women found that Iraq lacked a framework to investigate and prosecute rape and other gender-based violence, including by non-State actors.
"Ms. Mohamed had been receiving death threats and online abuse for years in retaliation for her work, believed to originate from extremist religious militia in Iraq," the experts said. "She had received no protection from the state and had to go into hiding on numerous occasions." Her situation is not isolated, as many women human rights defenders over the years have had their lives threatened for their legitimate human rights work.''
Following Mohamed's murder, the Iraqi Minister of Interior immediately posted on social media that an investigation into the incident was being opened.
"This is a step in the right direction, but we urge the Government to bring the perpetrators to justice promptly," the experts said. "The continued lack of accountability for crimes of violence against women in the past, including human rights defenders sends a message of normalising such crimes and fuels impunity."
"The Government of Iraq must work to end the online and physical abuse, threats and targeting of women human rights defenders and create a safe and enabling environment for them."
The experts are in touch with the Iraqi authorities on this matter.
